Vagabond Traveller

Amsterdam to close ‘coffee shops’

Shawna — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 23:19:09 +0000

Amsterdam is known for its ‘coffee shop’ but soon there will be less of them. In fact, around one fifth of the coffee shops in Amsterdam are to close in order to comply with a national ban on having them near schools.

The Bulldog, a high-traffic shop operating since 1985 in a former police station on one of the main squares of the city, is one of the shops affected by the ban.

In all, 43 shops located within 250 meters of a high school will have to close by the end of 2011 if they cannot successfully appeal the decision.

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NYC restaurants open on Thanksgiving

Shawna — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:53:13 +0000

Each year tons of tourists pack into Manhattan to be a part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. If the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade lineup has you heading into NYC don’t forget about that traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

Sure, you might be thinking that there is no way you will be able to find a place serving up a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. You will! You might think all of the places open will charge a fortune. Some do! But there are plenty of places open that cater to all price ranges and palates. So no matter what type of dinner you are looking for on Thanksgiving, there are plenty of NYC restaurants open on Thanksgiving. My tip is to head up to Harlem and eat at Sylvia’s restaurant - but expect to wait in line a long time for that tasty food!

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Save $100 on your NYC hotel stay

Shawna — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:37:25 +0000

Hotels in New York City are notoriously expensive. Typically when you do find a decent price it is in an older hotel that is less than luxurious.

But every now and then you can get lucky when a new hotel opens up in the city. These are the rare instances when you can get a really clean and nice room at a reasonable price.

Enter the Hampton Inn Manhattan-SoHo.

This new hotel is offering $100 off nightly stays that fall within a certain period. The grand opening special is rooms priced at only $149 a night. This is super rare in NYC, especially in the trendy SoHo area.

The offer is valid on the following dates:

Any day of the week, January-February
Nov. 26-28; Dec. 23-26 (winter holidays)

If that does not meet your travel itinerary, not to worry. Stays Nov. 15 - Dec. 29 are available for just $40 more per night.

Like other Hampton Inn hotels, the hotel serves daily FREE breakfast and freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies in the lobby from 4PM-8PM. The hotel even provides On the Run Breakfast bag.

Other details: Blackout Dates: Dec. 5-6, 12-13, 19-20. Book by Nov. 26.

To book this special price, book online making sure to enter the code TZO in the “Group/Convention Code” field. Book by Nov. 26.

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20 European Cities from Los Angeles - only $279

Shawna — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:37:23 +0000

If you have been looking for a great deal on airfare from the West Coast to Europe then you are in luck.

British Airways is offering 20 European Cities all at the same price of $279 from Los Angeles.

Travel dates: Nov. 18 - Dec. 17 & Dec. 24 - March 22, 2009.

The catch? You must book by Nov. 13.

You can book your flight directly at BA.com.

Additional details: You can also save an additional $20* roundtrip by registering and logging in at ba.com before you book. Plus take 15%* off hotels, car rentals, sightseeing and more when you book together with your round-trip flight.

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2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Lineup - More Than Just Miley Cyrus

Shawna — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:39:01 +0000

The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a staple of most American households. If your family is anything like mine, then Thanksgiving morning is spent watching the parade and wondering who will be performing or appearing on the floats.

If you are wondering who is appearing then I can point you to a full lineup. As you may have already heard, Miley Cyrus is scheduled to appear in the 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But if you are not a Miley Cyrus fan, do not worry, as there are plenty of other performers and celebrities for you to see.

For info on who is appearing at the 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, check out these links:

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Ryanair Coming To The United States

Shawna — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:50:28 +0000

If you have been envying the cheap fares Europeans get with Ryanair then I have good news. Ryanair is coming to the US!

You can expect them to be in airports in the US sometime in 2009.

US cities on the slate are New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Boston. Travelers will be able to fly to Dublin, Ireland and London Stanstead for around $13 each way. ( not including those pesky taxes)

If you are a budget traveler then you will want to keep an eye on this development!

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United Raises 2nd Checked Bag Fee To $50

Shawna — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 13:13:14 +0000

Ouch. United Airlines has raised the fee for a second checked bag. If you booked a flight on or after September 16 then pay attention.

For flights leaving on or after November 10, 2008 the fee for a second checked bag has increased from $25 to $50.

You can get complete info, including exceptions, from United.

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Know What’s Going On In San Francisco With The Squid List

Shawna — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:07:58 +0000

If you are in the San Francisco, California area, or are planning a trip there, then you need to know about the Squid List. If you are not familiar with it, the Squid List is a listing of San Francisco Bay Area Art, Culture & Technology Events. The great thing about this list is that it makes it easy to find free or low cost things to do in the traditionally expensive city.

Events are arranged by date. And if you don’t want to have to check the site regularly they do offer an RSS Feed option as well as an email list.

Check out The Squid List for yourself!

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American Airlines Takes Nickle And Diming You To A New Level

Shawna — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:55:32 +0000

As fuel costs were rising, so were the fees that airlines were charging fliers. Now, you would expect that since the cost of fuel is actually decreasing that the airlines would stop with the unnecessary fees. Expecting them to repeal those fees as a result of lower fuel costs is just naive and not likely. But expecting them to stop tacking on fees seems reasonable, right?

Apparently not to American Airlines.

In an egregious attempt to nickle and dime every last cent out of you, American Airlines is preparing to introduce a la carte pricing. What does this mean? It means there will be some basic fares that include absolutely nothing. You will pay extra for your baggage check in. You will pay extra for drinks. You will probably even pay extra for things like blankets and pillows. And I would not be surprised to see a coin slot on the bathroom door. Okay, I added that one myself, but is it really that far fetched?

To give you an example of the motives behind this, check out this excerpt from a Yahoo news story:

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines expects to raise $700 million a year from fees. Northwest Airlines Corp. estimates baggage charges will bring in $150 million to $200 million a year. Continental Airlines Inc. predicts it will generate more than $100 million just from a new $15 fee for checking a single bag — that doesn’t include levies on additional bags.

Wow. If that doesn’t make you sick then there must be something wrong with you.

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NoHo Scene: The Official Festival for NoHo Arts District

Shawna — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:13:28 +0000

If you are in the Los Angeles area and looking for something free to do, why not head on up to North Hollywood and check out NoHo Scene. It is the Official Festival for the NoHo Arts District.

There will be lots of food, shopping, street poets, plays, music and more! The night ends with Boomkat, the brother-sister band featuring Taryn Manning. Admission is free, as is parking. To get the specifics on parking, checkout the “directions” page on the official site.

Date & Time
Sunday, October 5, 2008: 11AM to 8PM (full event hours)

Where
Street Closure: On Lankershim Blvd. between Magnolia Blvd. and Hesby St. where concert stage, wine and food pavilion and fine art and marketplace booths will be located.

For more info, visit www.nohoartsdistrict.com/nohoscene/

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